Be more understanding

Wednesday, October 27, 2010 - 1:08 pm

Re: “Parenting Classes Needed” (Oct. 20-26), When people are quick to call Child Protective Services for child abuse and try to tell others how to parent, it is understandable why parents do not discipline in public. Suggesting people take parenting classes because their child misbehaves and they don’t spank them is a stretch. Those parents whose initial reaction is to smack their child need to take parenting classes and anger management. There are better solutions to deal with problem behaviors; leaving the store is also not one of them in my opinion. If you have ever tried that approach with a child, they learn that any time they do not want to sit through something; the store, church, a doctor’s appointment, they will misbehave because they think it gets them out of the situation. Also, spanking leads to increased negative behaviors and teaches children that is how to deal with their problems. Try another approach, like not rewarding the behavior with something the child likes. No McDonalds or no TV time when they get home. And who knows? Maybe that is what those parents are doing as discipline. One must also remember that some children have special needs and their behavior cannot be addressed by corporal punishment or other typical methods. It all comes back to people being a bit more understanding and a lot less judgmental.